Rory, a rugged Scotsman, reluctantly leaves his beloved Hebridean island and travels to San Francisco to seek medical treatment. Moving in with his estranged son, Rory sees his life transformed through a newly found bond with his grandson.
Rory's Way (or The Etruscan Smile as it is known in some markets) is based on the bestselling novel, La Sonrisa Etrusca, by José Luis Sampedro. The original story took place in Italy, unlike this adaptation which has changed one of its locations to the Scottish Highlands for the benefit of its leading man, Brian Cox (the Scottish actor, not the English physicist).
The original story used the culture differences between southern Italy and the city of Milan to drive the comedic elements of the drama, and Rory's Way has pushed that idea further accentuating the culture difference by changing the locations to the Scottish Highlands and San Francisco in the US. Put an elderly, Scotch-drinking Scottish man, comfortable with family feuds and nude public bathing into the cultural centre of northern California, and you know hilarity will ensue. The modern world relies on social cues and an understanding of political correctness, and we know Rory will have none of those.
The story is run-of-the-mill, however. There is a cringe-worthy charm to seeing the differences in how things have changed over the generations, and the film looks into the differences in civility, employment, parenting, and dating styles between what Rory does, and the life his son Ian was managed to achieve.
The film does come across as inconsistent and humdrum. Mainly, because there is little to no character development arc for our titular character. The story pushes the traditional idea of submitting to your elders and letting them get away with whatever, simply because they are older. There was a brilliant opportunity to really give Rory's character an opportunity for contemplation and looking inward at the consequences of how he has lived his life.
One can't help but feel for the character of Ian (played by JJ Feild), as his life is turned upside down by the re-emergence of his estranged father. A man that was never given the love and attention that he needed as a child, and even as an adult, finds himself being constantly disrespected. JJ Feilds has an interesting Tom Hiddleston vibe to his appearance, which I do find amusing as his job involves deceiving people through foods, creating gustatory illusions (I always wondered what the taste version of auditory and olfactory was).
One could call the story more realistic in that the titular character ends up with no character development (you can't teach an old dog new tricks), all that changes is the way that people react to him after learning that he is unwell. Definitely brings more realism, but it isn't necessarily beneficial to the story. The cinematography is rather bland and unexciting, with a lot of static shots, which means the film really relies on the strength of the actors' performances.
There is an interesting charm to Rory's Way. Brian Cox is in his element and bends the other characters around his will, yet there is a melancholy that pervades throughout the film. Inescapable truths that go unaddressed, feuds that end unresolved, love that is never returned. Rory's way is always the right way. It is unwavering in its belief, and while it does bring about some interesting social commentary on millennials and parenting, it doesn't bring anything new to the audience.